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In 2024, 146 land and environmental defenders were murdered or disappeared globally, with 82% of cases occurring in Latin America. Mining remains the most lethal sector, followed by logging and agribusiness. The report highlights systemic failures in state protection, high levels of impunity, and the criminalization of activists. It specifically examines the precarious situation of indigenous and peasant communities in Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, the Philippines, Honduras, Guatemala, and Chile, while also addressing the environmental destruction and land expropriation in occupied Palestinian territories. The document calls for the ratification of the Escazú Agreement, the implementation of the EU's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, and the guaranteed safe participation of defenders in COP30.

In 2024, 146 environmental and land defenders were killed or disappeared globally, with 82% of cases occurring in Latin America. The report identifies mining as the deadliest industry for defenders and highlights the role of organized crime and state actors in these attacks. It specifically examines the critical situations in Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, the Philippines, Honduras, and Guatemala, while detailing the systemic failures of state protection mechanisms and the criminalization of activism. The document calls for the ratification of the Escazú Agreement, the implementation of binding corporate due diligence laws, and the recognition of defenders' roles in climate solutions ahead of COP30.

The author proposes that China can leverage its role as a major investor and creditor in Latin America to support climate action. Key suggestions include adopting a crediting mechanism for clean energy projects similar to Japan's JCM, implementing debt-for-climate swaps (specifically citing Ecuador's potential), and negotiating free trade agreements that prioritize environmental services and green goods.

The report examines the greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint of beef production, highlighting that emissions vary drastically by region and production system, ranging from 16 to 360 kg CO2e/kg edible meat. It identifies enteric fermentation, feed production, and land-use change as the primary emission drivers, while noting that well-managed grazing lands can act as carbon sinks. The document outlines mitigation strategies including improved feed digestibility, rotational grazing, and feed additives, estimating a total global mitigation potential between 0.67 and 2.55 GtCO2e/yr.

The report examines GHG emissions from shrimp aquaculture, noting a wide range of intensities (2 to 99 kgCO2e/kg retail product) driven by production methods, feed, and land-use change. It highlights that while intensive systems are more common and generally less GHG-intensive per unit, the conversion of mangroves for extensive ponds creates massive emissions. Key mitigation opportunities include improving feed conversion ratios (FCR), adopting conversion-free feed, and transitioning to renewable energy.

The report finds that air quality is severely underfunded, accounting for only 0.5% of international development funding and less than 0.1% of philanthropic spending between 2015 and 2020. While 72% of development funding for air quality also addresses climate change, only 2.2% of international public climate finance explicitly targets air pollution. The analysis highlights a critical misalignment in priorities, noting that international development funders committed $46.6 billion to projects prolonging fossil fuel use between 2015-2021, more than four times the amount spent on air quality. Geographically, funding is concentrated in Asia, the US, China, and India, leaving Africa and Latin America underserved; in Africa, funding for fossil fuel-prolonging projects was 36 times higher than for clean air measures from 2015-2021.

The IAI and CERMES have agreed to a two-year partnership to create synergies between the NOAA-CERMES Climate Resilience Enhancement Programme (NCCREP) and the IAI Science, Technology and Policy (STeP) Fellowship program. The collaboration aims to bridge the gap between climate science research and decision-making in the Caribbean and Latin America by providing professional development in leadership, communication, and science diplomacy for early-career researchers. CERMES is responsible for coordinating the placement of up to three fellows annually in Caribbean host institutions and managing funding via NOAA, while the IAI provides a professional development program and access to an Inter-American networking platform.

The Reservoir Methane Capture Mechanism (RMCM) is a first-of-its-kind Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) designed to unlock public and private investment for capturing methane from the turbined waters of hydroelectric plants. The mechanism uses a 'methane capture-as-a-service' model to remove the need for initial capital expenditure by hydropower operators. The project follows a three-stage implementation: a USD 6.5 million proof-of-concept, a USD 54 million pilot phase involving five plants, and a scale-up phase targeting 273 projects with a potential capital mobilization of USD 3 billion. Revenues are generated through the sale of electricity and carbon credits, with the latter requiring the development of a new methodology via Gold Standard. At full scale, the RMCM aims to capture 217,000 tons of methane annually, avoiding 6.8 million tons of CO2e.

The Fund for Nature (TFFN) is a financial instrument designed to provide market-rate project-level debt to nature-based carbon projects, primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa. By offering an alternative to the common practice of pre-selling carbon credits at steep discounts to corporate buyers, TFFN aims to increase the revenue captured by local project implementers and communities. A central innovation of the fund is the development of a standardized, open-sourced Simple Agreement for Future Offtake (SAFO), which serves as a bankable document to secure future carbon credit supply and act as collateral for debt. The fund targets the agriculture, forestry, and blue carbon sectors, specifically focusing on afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation (ARR) and reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+). A pilot fund of USD 50-70 million is envisioned, with the potential to scale as voluntary carbon markets are projected to grow significantly by 2030.

SEI Oxford celebrates its 20th anniversary by reviewing its transition from a small office focused on rural vulnerability to a global actor in climate adaptation. Key achievements include contributing to IPCC reports, launching the weADAPT platform, and developing tools for collaborative decision-making and climate risk management across diverse geographies.

The document addresses the investment gap for climate-smart infrastructure in developing countries, where high perceived risks lead to high risk premiums and non-bankable projects. It defines de-risking as the reallocation or reduction of risk through policy measures (establishing rules and mandates) and financial measures (using public capital to bear risk). Three examples illustrate these mechanisms: the Green Climate Fund's anchor equity in Chile's Espejo de Tarapacá project, the Africa Energy Guarantee Facility's multi-layered insurance chain, and Climate Investor Two's tiered tranche structure. The guide concludes that while not applicable to all projects, strategic de-risking leverages small amounts of public capital to mobilize large-scale private investment.

Mighty Earth is calling on Groupe Carrefour to sever ties with major suppliers linked to deforestation in the Amazon and Cerrado, specifically JBS, Bunge, and Cargill. The organization demands the adoption of a 'Zero Deforestation, Zero Conversion' policy by 2025 for beef and 2023 for soy, alongside a commitment to reduce animal product sales by 50% and Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030.

The document examines the critical role of forests in climate regulation and biodiversity, noting that 420 million hectares have been lost since 1990. It analyzes the shift from failed attempts at a global forests convention to a polycentric governance system involving the UN Forum on Forests, REDD, and private sector deforestation commitments. The brief highlights the risks of carbon offsets and monoculture plantations, arguing that successful forest protection requires holistic valuation, strong political will, and the alignment of financial incentives.

The report highlights that animal welfare is largely absent from sustainable development governance, despite evidence that current animal treatment hinders the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. It identifies critical links between industrial livestock farming and public health threats like antimicrobial resistance and zoonoses, as well as environmental degradation. The authors propose three pathways for mainstreaming: incorporating animal welfare into international legal instruments, adopting national policies to support sustainable practices (including economic and regulatory tools), and enhancing knowledge, capacity, and representation for animals.

The study identifies fuel type, kitchen volume, cooking methods, and ventilation as the primary drivers of in-kitchen particulate matter exposure in low-income homes across 12 global cities. The highest concentrations were found in Dhaka, driven by small kitchen size and extensive frying, while the lowest were in Medellín. The research highlights that charcoal use significantly increases PM2.5 levels compared to natural gas or LPG, and that dual ventilation (mechanical and natural) is more effective at reducing pollutants than natural ventilation alone.

The IAI Regional Assessment (IAI-RA) employs a co-production model to bridge the gap between scientific research and policy-making in the Americas. By utilizing a seven-stage methodology—including surveys, interviews, and policy analysis—the IAI aims to identify specific information needs of member governments to better prioritize research funding and capacity building for global environmental change.

The paper explores 'buen vivir' (living well), an indigenous-rooted concept from South America that prioritizes harmony between humans and nature over economic growth. It examines the tension between this biocentric approach and European 'green' strategies like the European Green Deal, which the authors argue remain tied to economic growth and productivity. While official adoption in EU-Latin America relations has been limited since a 2015 resolution, the document highlights a growing trend of local European initiatives—such as granting legal rights to nature in Spain and the Netherlands—that align with the principles of buen vivir.

Uruguay's Country Programme to the GCF details the nation's commitment to a low-carbon, resilient economy. It identifies key vulnerabilities—particularly in agriculture and coastal zones—and sets mitigation targets for energy and food production. The document establishes the Ministry of Environment as the National Designated Authority and outlines a pipeline of projects focusing on e-mobility, coastal resilience, and REDD+, while pursuing GCF accreditation for the Corporación Nacional para el Desarrollo (CND) and Banco República Oriental del Uruguay (BROU).

The report examines the marginalization of agricultural biodiversity within the CBD and the destructive impact of industrial agriculture on ecosystems. It contrasts the 'industrial food chain' with the 'peasant food web', arguing that agroecology is the only viable pathway to climate resilience and biodiversity restoration. The document criticizes 'false solutions' like carbon offsets and sustainable intensification, and provides recommendations for the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework to prioritize human rights, phase out industrial agriculture, and regulate agribusiness.

The report analyzes 57 SEI projects from 2010-2021, finding a heavy concentration in circular bioeconomy, solid waste, and water management, primarily in Europe and Asia. It identifies critical knowledge gaps in impact assessment, just transition, business models, and consumer behavior, recommending a shift toward higher-priority circularity strategies (refuse and rethink) and transdisciplinary, multi-stakeholder collaborations.